Category Archives: Mercer Island History

If you’re slightly obsessed with Mercer Island history, as I am, you’ll want to check out this map from 1890.

I came across it again on the David Rumsey map collection, which has a number of old Northwest maps. You can zoom to many interesting features. Let’s start in North Island:

Mercerdale

Mercerdale was the first neighborhood settled in Mercer Island. Here you can see it labeled “East Seattle,” with the large red square labeled “Caulkins Addition.” Thompson Ave, which I believe is now SE 24th St, is at the top of the main subdivision.

Mid Island

Mid Island was the next subdivision. The yellow is an area around the current library. It seems no coincidence that the subdivisions are about the size of our current parks: Island Crest and the three squares of Pioneer Park.

The Ferries

Ah, the ferries, always an interesting aspect of early Mercer Island life. Of course this was pre-bridge, so the Island must have felt much more remote then. This zoom shows the three ferries coming to Mercer Island: two to the landing dock just north of the Roanoke Inn, from Leschi and Bellevue, and a second ferry from Leschi straight into Mercerdale.

Ok, I’m late on this story. About 80 years late. The Seattle Municipal Archives just put up a photo of a proposed bridge to Seward Park back in 1927:

Looks like it was going to come in right around 50th St. Apparently they were investigating a tunnel at about the same time.

Either one of those sure would have changed the character of mid-Island. West Mercer would probably be a much more major thoroughfare if this had happened. I’ve got no info on why it didn’t.

Bonus Link

A new post on the Mercer Island School District blog profiles Lakeridge 2nd-grade teacher Polly Giovanelli. The blog typically does great short profiles like this, great for parents and others interested in the MISD.

The first floating bridge to provide a real path to the eastside was built across Lake Washington in 1940, about where I-90 is today, and development of Mercer Island and Bellevue commenced. From a housing point of view, most of the housing on the Seattle side of Lake Washington is at least 50 years old, built in the styles of those times, usually with nice formal rooms like living room and dining room, tending toward pretty utilitarian kitchens and baths, and often with a basement – usually finished out and incorporated into the living space by now.

Map for showing the housing development waves for the Greater Seattle area
Development on Mercer Island and Bellevue, including Medina and Clyde Hill, and Kirkland proceeded pretty rapidly during the 50’s and 60’s, and the typical housing style was a rambler, or a ‘daylight rambler’ on a hillside, and basements were uncommon in that era.

Housing styles changed rapidly in the 70’s with the popularity of natural wood (usually cedar), exposed beams, and big windows – perhaps influenced by the spectacular house in the great 1959 thriller film North by Northwest with Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason.

The other major housing style to emerge on the eastside in the 70’s was the tri-level, a new design with the entry at mid-level, and living spaces either a half-flight up or a half flight down. Another common design during this period was the tri-level, a very livable and still popular design for sloping lots.

If you want to get to know the Island better, get the book Walk Mercer Island. You’ll find yourself at places you didn’t know existed. For example, did you know that there’s a suspension bridge here?

Apparently a very dangerous one:

I went on a few of the walks while I was on maternity leave with baby blogger. Most include a nice mix of scenery, points of interest and local history. Check the book website for more details.

Kris Kelsay, the author, is a Mercer Island resident. She says:Recently, I’ve been puzzled when my hard-core walking and running friends didn’t know about the trails and cut-thrus in their own backyard. Then I realized they have become much harder to find. There is no guide available and many of the path signs have disappeared or been hidden with strategically placed landscaping or a potted plant; and some have simply become inaccessible, period.

There’s also views of Rainier, sunken forests, and hidden trails but I’ll let you find those walks. Definitely a book worth getting.

“These photos are taken from an old family photo album, which I found at an estate sale in Bellevue, Washington many years ago. My husband grew up on Mercer Island, and we have found the photos of the island particularly interesting.”

Struggling with an addiction to local history as I do, seeing these photos made me feel lightheaded and woozy. I had to sit down for a minute.

You can get a beer at The Roanoke Inn afterwards. But my husband and I won’t be there: since the arrival of baby blogger, we can’t go. This is a product of Washington State Liquor Control policy, which says minors can’t be in bar areas.

Turns out the whole Roanoke is defined as a bar area, which we discovered after walking in Luther Burbank park last fall and stopping by for a beer, where the waitress regretfully told us that they could lose their license if we sat at a booth. This also applies to every happy hour in the city, where we used to go occasionally for great deals on food.

To me it’s a parental responsibility issue. We’re not talking about serving alcohol to minors, just allowing them to be in some very normal places with their parents. We need to teach our kids about responsible alcohol use. If they state wants to do it for us they should tell us we can’t have wine with dinner now and then at home. Anyway, we still love the Roanoke, and we’ll resume stopping by once in a while– in about 21 years.

Just back from vacation I saw one of the single coolest comments that’s ever been left on this blog. Back in January, Dan left a comment saying he and a buddy just dived at the sunken Ferry Dawn in Lake Washington. This August he came through with a short video of the dive on his site DCS films:

The DSC site also has some great old images and reminisces of the Ferry Dawn, including the quote at the title of this post:
“The fare for a ride on the impressive little steamer was 25 cents a round trip, but steady commuters could purchase a ten trip ticket for 1 dollar. Students got 20 trips for 1 dollar! Commuters and students alike would do whatever it took to catch the early boat. At times, folks could be seen running down to the dock in various stages of undress, scrambling to not miss their transport. “

Dan, thanks for diving and filming the dive! Those of us who are unhealthily addicted to local history owe you one. Be sure to let us know when you post more videos.